The causes of populism

November 28, 2019December 3, 2019

The causes of populism

A detailed analysis of how the model of populist causality works is in my Populism and Liberal Democracy: A Comparative and Theoretical Analysis (Oxford University Press 2019), pp. 123-130

A TIP-OFF: The present model does not apply to nativist parties, which are often, unfortunately, and erroneously (mis)classified as “populist.” It only applies to populist parties that have emerged strong, and ruled, in the “lands of populism.”

The image featured above represents the causal model of populism qua democratic illiberalism. It is the outcome of an intricate interplay of structural conditions, quasi-rational extraordinary leaders, and political mechanisms. No factor is independent from the rest, and each factor must be examined in sequential causal logic.

November 23, 2019September 4, 2020

The lands of populism

In the hype surrounding the global interest in populism, have you ever thought of, or wondered about, where exactly in the postwar liberal world have populists won office and been able to keep it for good periods of time?

The mapping above puts the lands of populism on display. In top and medium rows are the countries in which populist parties have won at least two (most often consecutive) elections. Bottom row includes the three most recent cases of populist rule.

Save the cases of Poland and Mexico, all other cases are examined in historical depth, compared and analyzed systematically in Populism and Liberal Democracy: A Comparative and Theoretical Analysis. Do have a look!